LACHIE Falloon and Georgie Pitkethley were the standout performers from Gisborne at the opening surf lifesaving carnival of the season.
The Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae athletes scored individual and teams success at the Whangamata Classic, held in half-metre surf in the Bay of Plenty.Falloon won the under-16 ski, was second inthe u19 men's ironman and u16 board, and was fourth in the u16 ironman.Pitkethley won the u19 women's board, and put in 'phenomenal' board legs in all her team events.The Waikanae team finished well ahead of the rest of the field in the u19 board relay but were disqualified on a technicality, and they were third in the six-person taplin relay.Oska Smith won the u16 boys' beach sprint and was third in the u16 boys' beach flags.'We had eight athletes over there competing, and for some of them it was their first carnival,' Waikanae team manager and coach Michelle Mitchell said.'The newcomers went really well.'Dawson Building Midway also had a small team of seven athletes competing. They included newly qualified lifeguards competing for the first time.'It was all about experience for our team,' club head coach Matt Sutton said.'Sasha Fergus, aged 15, was our best-performed competitor with a seventh place in the girls' under-16 board.'Jessica Fearnley, also 15, finished ninth in the under-16 ironwoman.'Riversun Wainui did not compete at Whangamata.The gruelling Mount Monster long-distance race will be held this weekend at Mount Maunganui and all three Gisborne clubs will have athletes taking part.
